Shami said it was the first time he had played a full shot since his recovery.
“It felt great yesterday as I bowled half run-up and off as I couldn’t put too much pressure on my body,” he said at an event organized by Eugenix Hair Sciences in Gurugram. “Yesterday, we decided that I would bowl properly, and I gave 100%. It feels amazing, [and] the results are good. Hopefully, I’ll get back on track soon.”
When asked if he was pain free now, after undergoing surgery in February, Shami said, “100%”. Shami has a month to try and be fit for the first Test against Australia which starts on November 22.
“The Australia series is still a long way off,” he said. “The only thing I want to focus on is how to keep myself in shape, and how strong I can be before I go there. I know what kind of attack we want for that Test series, so it’s better for me to spend more time there. If I’m fit and have eight to ten days off, then it’s better for me to play one or two domestic games before leaving for Australia.
“I don’t know when I will be able to play next, but the day I feel comfortable bowling 20-30 overs and get clearance from the doctor, I will run to play the match. I want to spend as much time as I can on the field before leaving for the Australia series.
“I don’t want something like that to lose my fitness here and something happen to me there. That’s not what I want. I want to be strong when I leave here so there are no problems there.”
Shami represents Bengal in domestic cricket and the next Ranji Trophy match may be too soon for him to play, starting October 26 at home. Their next two matches after that are from November 6 against Karnataka in Bengaluru and from November 13 in Indore against Madhya Pradesh, which will mark the end of the first leg of the red-ball tournament. If Shami does regain fitness next month, he could also play the three-day warm-up match slotted between India and India A in Perth before the first Test begins in the same city.
“It’s very difficult to get back on track after an injury, so patience is the most important thing. Injuries teach you patience and that makes your skills purer.”
Muhammad Shami
Shami also spent months off the field immediately after the 2015 World Cup when an ankle injury bothered him and he also missed the IPL that year, as in 2024. Having not played a single match for almost a year, Shami said one such injury had taught him patience.
“Don’t get frustrated and focus as much as you can on fitness and the game,” he said of spending months away from the pitch. “It’s very difficult to get back on track after an injury, so patience is the most important thing. Injuries teach you patience and it makes your skills purer.
“Fitness comes first [you have to focus on in recovery]. You should never doubt your skills and talents when you leave because there are certain things that are ingrained in you. I agree you need something like rhythm but your skills will never leave you. It’s your fitness you have to strive for.”
Shami said India’s pace attack, which also features Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, instills fear in opponents because of the pace and variety the three bowlers offer.
“We have been working as a unit since 2014,” Shami said. “India never had three bowlers at a time who were capable of bowling at more than 140kph. Maybe a maximum of two. Now we even have a few players on the bench who are capable of bowling at 145kph. Every opponent is waiting for one kind of easy bowler, but that’s how you create fear that all our bowlers are 145kph and have different skills And we show how to fight when we go on overseas tours .”
Whether he is able to make it to Australia or not, Shami said if there is “bounce on a few wickets, nothing would be better for our pace attack. We just need a few runs on the board which our bowlers can defend.”
Daya Sagar is ESPNcricinfo Hindi sub editor
#Shami #painfree #play #domestic #cricket #Australia #tour